USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Acton > Town annual reports of Acton, Massachusetts 1946-1950 > Part 33
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Radio in Education
Tufts College
Whitman Pearson
Public School Finance
Harvard University
John Haynes
Delinquency and Education
Boston University
William O'Connell
Psychology
Boston University
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Name
Education
Grade Special
Dardana Berry
Framingham Normal School
5
Acting Principal
Margaret Barrett
Lowell State Teachers College Boston University 2
Ramona Davis
Boston University
4
Celina MacLean
Perry Kindergarten School 1
Julia L. McCarthy
Fitchburg Normal School
3 Principal
Jessie E. Gemma Fitchburg Normal School 5
Mary F. Lynch
Emmanuel College Fitchburg State Teachers College 4
Fitchburg Normal School 1
Florence A. Merriam Carrie F. Wells
Fitchburg Normal School New England Conservatory of Music 2 Principal
Helen R. Best
Wheelock College
3
Carolyn Douglas
Fitchburg Teachers College 6
Mary Louise Ellis
Lesley College 1
Carl Bowman
Fitchburg State Teachers College Boston University, Northeastern University H. S.
Gregory Bowes
Mass. School of Art, Harvard U.
All
Irene Costello
Bridgewater State Teachers College
Mary Emerson
New Hampshire University
H. S. Girls' Sports H. S. Cafeteria
10
Edward Ferry
Middlebury College, Syracuse University Rutgers, Columbia University, Univ. of Mass. Harvard University
Basketball Coach Baseball Coach (Jr. High)
H. S. Publications
H. S. Library H. S. Publications H. S. Cafeteria
H. S. Dramatics Visual Aids
H. S. Baseball Coach Faculty Manager Junior High Coach Assistant Principal H. S. Student Council 11
H. S. Guidance
All Assemblies H. S. Visual Aids H. S. Junior Red Cross
Ralph Stetson Marion Towne Whitman Pearson
Radcliffe College Yale, Boston Univ., Bryant and Stratton
Truro College New England Conservatory of Music Mass. School of Art
Smith College
University of Pennsylvania, Boston University, Cambridge University, University of Brussels, University of Paris, Harvard All
Superintendent -
Principal
John Haynes Henry Hopkinson Jacqueline Jeyes Evelyn Knowlton Albert Koch
William O'Connell
Boston University
Northeastern University
Salem Teachers College
Bradford College
Tufts College
Boston University
Ruth Proctor William Packer, Jr. John Priske
12
SCHOOL HOUSING
The School Committee and the School Survey Committee authorized members of the Senior Class under the direction of Richard Woodward and Assistant Principal William O'Con- nell to take the 1949 School Census. Student census takers were given proper credentials by the Superintendent of Schools and they gathered not only the information required by law about children between five and sixteen, but data on pre-school children which was of great help to the Survey Committee in the preparation of its report and graphs. Ac- curacy of the school census is more important now than in former years because the number of children between seven and sixteen is the basis for one form of state aid.
Present indications are that the Acton school system will have to provide two more classrooms and two more teachers in September, 1950, and provision for this has been made in the 1950 school budget. As the last "single class" 6th grade group passes into the high school, the promotion of the two present 5th grade groups will require another 6th grade teacher. Likewise the advancing of the three first grades now in operation will make necessary another 2nd grade faculty member.
All existing school rooms are being used at present as well as the basement of the Center Church, and investigation has indicated that the Sunday School rooms of the West Acton Baptist Church and the South Acton Congregational Church offer the best possibilities for school use in the fall of 1950. People who are thinking ahead about school housing problems will be vitally interested in the facts, figures and graphs ap- pearing as part of the School Survey Committee Report, and will be especially concerned with the real classroom crisis in- dicated for September, 1952.
A regional high school or new local high school building could be in operation by that time, and by taking care of the senior high school classes, this would release existing facilities in the present high school building for use by lower grades. A tentative building line-up for the future might be as follows :
Grades 1, 2, 3, 4, at the village schools
Grades 5 and 6 in the high school building
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Grades 7, 8, 9 (Jr. High School) in the high school building Grades 10, 11, 12, new building
The advantages of a regional school have been set forth in the Survey Committee Report and will not be repeated here. Questions which have to be decided by the voters of participat- ing towns include: the authorization to take part in the re- gional project; approval of the contract negotiated by the re- gional committee for the member towns; appropriation of funds required for construction and operation of a regional building.
At every step, and there are eight, before the new building would be ready for operation, the state's school building assistance commission, headed by Mr. John Marshall of Stow, must approve the process to justify the Commonwealth's con- tribution, which under new legislation may be as high as 65 per cent of the total cost.
A special joint meeting of nearby school committees was held at Acton in September to discuss the regional school proposition, and the net result of this was a request to Mr. Marshall's office for a survey of the regional school possibili- ties in this area. To date no report on this survey has been received.
The "regional school district planning board" article included in the 1950 Warrant is a preliminary move designed to ap- praise town sentiment in regard to the regional school idea, and does not in any way commit Acton to an irrevocable agreement with the state or other towns.
REDECORATING SCHOOL INTERIORS
During the summer custodians Harvey, Banks, and Wil- liams of the elementary schools completed the "color dynamic" refinishing of their building interiors at a nominal cost to the school department. All color combinations were determined on a scientific basis which took into consideration the elements of exposure, window space, purpose and grade level, and the "new look" has provided a most attractive and stimulating school environment for Acton children. People who are familiar with. current school building costs, averaging about
14
$25,000 for each new classroom, were pleased with the low- cost transformation which science, paint, and plenty of hard work achieved.
At the high school, Louis Leveroni and his assistant Donald Spinney rejuvenated that building with their efforts directed at painting lockers and dressing rooms, improving the park- ing area, and refinishing floors. Fine hard wood floors, which for years were hidden under thick coats of black oil, in keep- ing with the practice of another generation, have been com- pletely reclaimed by hours of sanding and polishing.
The articles in the 1950 Warrant regarding the painting of building exteriors, ceiling refinishing throughout the system, and repainting the interior of the high school, represent tasks which require professional skill and apparatus, and are neces- sary if the school property is to be maintained properly.
Another article would authorize the installation of a new heating unit at the Center School to provide not only adequate heat in all classrooms but to eliminate the gas hazard now present.
Those who are reluctant to spend more money on "old buildings" should consider that the replacement value of each of the three village schools would be approximately $100,000, and that the high school could not be duplicated for $400,000. Not only will all these buildings be used for many years to come, but after they are abandoned as schools they may be- come neighborhood centers, so good community business prac- tice would indicate that they should be maintained at the high- est state of efficiency.
ADMINISTRATION
Monthly Book Inspection
Each high school student is loaned books having a total value of about ten dollars, and in an effort to minimize the number of lost and damaged texts, a regular "Book Inspec- tion" is held the last Thursday of each month. Students are expected to pay for missing books so that they may be replaced immediately.
15
Fire Drills
These are held regularly and all buildings can be evacuated very quickly. High school students have left the building in 56 seconds from the time of the sounding of the alarm.
1950 School Budget
Several faculty meetings during the fall of 1949 were de- voted to general discussions of textbook, personnel and sup- ply needs for 1950, and special committees headed by Prin- cipals Julia McCarthy, Carrie Wells and Dardana Berry, and Assistant High School Principal William O'Connell investi- gated these matters at the various grade levels. On the basis of these studies, the Budget was prepared by the Superintend- ent for presentation to the School Committee, Finance Commit- tee, and voters, and it is believed to incorporate every fore- seeable and justifiable expense to be incurred during 1950.
Miscellaneous
During the summer of 1949 a card system inventory of non- expendable supplies was set up, the office files, drawers and closets were cleared of old bills and other obsolete records, and the important school registers and other valuable docu- ments were filed in the large safe. The library record system has been improved by Mr. Hopkinson, who has served as school librarian, and the ordering, storage and distribution of all janitorial supplies has been coordinated under high school custodian Louis Leveroni. School secretary Joyce Woodhead and Instructor Jacqueline Jeyes, aided by girls from the Com- mercial Department, supervised the reorganization, expansion and moving of the records of former students which now occupy five four-drawer filing cabinets.
AUDIO-VISUAL AIDS TO TEACHING
The school department's limited audio-visual aid equip- ment, especially the single sound moving picture projector, has been used to capacity with especially beneficial results in the teaching of science and the social studies. An experiment has been tried by which students who have a certain period free are allowed to pre-view educational moving pictures with in- structor Carl Bowman, and this has been a worthwhile method
16
of reaching students who would not otherwise see a picture or those who would gain by repetition. Mr. Ralph Stetson has charge of the audio-visual aid equipment and his experience as a professional projectionist has been invaluable in the case of repairs, and the construction of auxiliary film handling equipment. There is need for a lighter sound movie projector which can be handled easily by the women teachers and can be assigned to the elementary schools, for many more film strips, and for a film strip projector in each school, as well as for playback equipment, which will handle all types of educa- tional records. After careful investigation by Music Director John Priske and other faculty members of the many tape and wire recorder devices on the market, a Crestwood tape re- corder was purchased out of funds raised by concerts, and this is being used effectively for music, speech correction, foreign language teaching, and transcriptions from radio programs.
Many valuable field trips were arranged during the year and they involved nearly all the students in the system at different times. Especially important were the visits to the General Motors plant at Framingham, the Sears museums at Harvard, Behr-Manning Abrasives in Cambridge, and to the historical features of Concord, Lexington, Salem, and Boston.
The expense of these trips is covered by contributions from the youngsters involved, although as a highly important edu- cational activity the cost could be charged to school depart- ment funds.
GUIDANCE
The change from the elementary school environment to the high school situation is a difficult one for youngsters, and many seventh grade students understandably misinterpret at first the part they are expected to play in a secondary school. Dif- ferent teachers, changing classes, a succession of extra-cur- ricular activities, imitation of older students, normal develop- ment of group loyalty, desire for recognition and security, and the tide of teen-age problems keep many younger pupils continually off balance, and involved in disciplinary troubles. In an effort to help the seventh graders, the Orientation Course which was established last year has been improved, and is
17
being built around a new textbook "Living Your Life." Topics covered include Studying, School Life, Leadership, Etiquette, Personality Development, Habits, Citizenship, Vocations, Handling Money, and Safety.
Arrangements have been made with Boston University for the institution's Testing Service to administer complete test batteries to the high school's eighth, and eleventh grade classes next May. Results, based on capabilities, aptitudes, and achievement, will be used to guide the younger students in their choice of high school studies for the next four years, and to help the older ones in preparation for vocation and college.
Students are encouraged to fill out special "Personality Ques- tionnaires" from time to time, and since these are really the basis for an autobiographical picture of the pupil, they will be used to supplement the more impersonal school records.
DRIVER TRAINING
Since few parents have the time, patience, or "know-how" to teach good driving, and teaching one's own children is al- ways difficult, the Registry of Motor Vehicles, State Depart- ment of Education, and a host of insurance, safety, and edu- cational agencies are cooperating to establish Driver Training as an integral part of modern high school education. Such a course involves an experienced teacher, who has been properly trained in driving technique under the auspices of the Regis- try, approximately twenty-five hours of class instruction, a minimum of eight hours of behind-the-wheel training in a dual control car, standardized tests, and when available, the use of psychophysical devices to test reactions to emergencies and physical strain.
Statistics have indicated that untrained drivers have five times as many accidents as those who have passed high school driving courses, and that the untrained are guilty of six to seven times as many traffic violations as the others.
Industrial arts instructor Ralph Stetson has been designated as the Driver Training Teacher at Acton High School, and he is now taking the approved Registry-sponsored instructors
18
course at Northeastern University. Non-operational instruc- tion during the winter will prepare his first group of twenty- five students for behind-the-wheel training in a dual control car to be supplied by Laffin's Garage the first of April.
BOAT BUILDING
The News Agency of the Engineering and Boat Manufac- turing Association recognized Acton High School in a summer news release. which was worded as follows: "Acton High School, Acton, Massachusetts, now includes boat building in its Industrial Arts curriculum. Among the craft recently con- structed by students were several prams and a sailing dinghy."
Instructor Stetson, a firm believer in the policy of having youngsters construct useful articles instead of doing class exercise projects, has inspired his charges to turn out a variety of home furnishing items as well as sports equipment, and metal products.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Acton school children enthusiastically supported a "Bundle Day" collection of clothing for relief of children abroad, and in December eighteen large bags of wearing apparel were sent to the New York headquarters of Save the Children. In the early fall, contributions were made for the benefit of the Emer- son Hospital "Harvest Day," and a record breaking "Magazine Drive" just before Thanksgiving netted $350 for the support of school athletic activities. Spring and fall paper drives were conducted by the Class of 1950, and the Student Council under the direction of Faculty Advisor Ruth Proctor renovated one of the girls' lavatories at the high school.
During American Education week in November, special teas were held at all schools under the auspices of the Parent- Teachers Association, with students serving as guides and waitresses.
Junior Red Cross activities at the High School, under the direction of Miss Marion Towne and Chairman Jean Hollis in- cluded the following: over 13,000 surgical dressings for Emer- son Hospital, 50 nuteups and favors for Washington's Birth-
19
day celebration at Bedford Veterans Hospital, posters request- ing house plants for Bedford Veterans Hospital. Children in the elementary schools collected house plants and made 200 gift cards for attachment to Red Cross gifts to patients. The enrollment drive netted $43.73 from 546 members.
Faculty and school committee members had an informal get- together at a dinner meeting early in October which con- tributed materially to the closer cooperation of those directly concerned with the operation of the local schools.
IMPORTANT EQUIPMENT PURCHASED DURING 1949
Completion of fluorescent lighting project in Center and South Schools, and in all but two rooms of the West School.
New electric sewing machine from cafeteria profits
New Standard spirit duplicator from "Torch" profits Additional fence at Center School
Seeability meter for testing lighting conditions.
Film splicer
Crestwood tape recorder from concert profits Mixing machine from cafeteria profits
SURPLUS GOVERNMENT PROPERTY
Three truckloads of Army surplus material, released by the Surplus Property Agency of the State Department of Educa- tion were secured at Fort Devens, during September, and they represented a value of more than a thousand dollars. Im- portant articles acquired in this way included a small gasoline engine for the science laboratory, a motor generator to sup- plement the welding outfit obtained last year, and a number of parachutes, the silk of which is being transformed into blouses, scarves and other things by the girls of the Home Economics department under the direction of Instructor Mary Emerson.
Other items which were secured for the Home Economics laboratory and cafeteria were bowls, dishes, cups, and as- sorted kitchen utensils, including a cleaver and meat chopper.
Three used and broken costumers were transformed under the guidance of Industrial Arts teacher Ralph Stetson into a junior-sized clothes rack for the first grade youngsters in Mrs. MacLean's room at the Center Church. In addition to the gas
20
engine, Science Instructor Carl Bowman had his laboratory equipment increased by several hundred small bottles, two astro-compasses, an antenna set, telephone equipment, two air pumps, several atomizers, a hand generator, and an assort- ment of chemicals. A supply of artificial stone, wax, and plas- ter of Paris was acquired for the Art students.
An electrically refrigerated drinking fountain is being re- paired by the Industrial Arts students, and the stock room of this department gained a quantity of wire, tape, cable, loom, composition board, tubing, hose, and a rope splicing outfit. Four teachers desks will be useful as increasing enrollment requires the setting up of more class rooms, and the large supply of tags, antiseptic solution, bowl cleaner, insect re- pellant, oil and twine will be used to advantage by all schools.
The School Department had to pay warehousing and trans- portation charges, but the total cost-eighty dollars-was less than the price of two of the teachers desks involved in the transaction.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Mrs. Margaret Moody conducted the latest type hearing and vision tests under the supervision of the State Department of Public Health, during October. 558 children were tested and of these 130 had some trouble with their eyes and 58 had hear- ing defects. The percentage of deviation from the normal in Acton agreed almost exactly with state-wide results. The ac- curacy of the special testing equipment which was borrowed from the State was offset to some extent by the limited space available for the tests, and in 1950 arrangements will be made to transport all youngsters to the high school where the art room is well adapted to testing requirements.
Miss Irene Costello and Mr. Edward Ferry who are in charge of the local school Physical Education program have placed an increased emphasis on safety, health, posture, good grooming, and first aid, with the entire program pointed toward an ex- hibition or field day scheduled for late spring.
ATHLETICS
A more detailed discussion of this subject will be made in a special report by Assistant Principal and Faculty Manager
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William O'Connell, who has devoted much time and effort to this important field of school activity. Although the school's efforts to finance athletics by means of Magazine and Christ- mas Card drives, dances, etc., have been successful this year, this method of financing is not an efficient way of supporting a recognized and important phase of modern education, and costs should be considered as a regular school expense. Con- trary to popular belief, school athletic programs are not likely to be self supporting, and many towns have special subsidies to take care of the losses incurred by inter-scholastic sports participation. Most people are surprised to learn that a typi- cal home basketball game involves a minimum overhead of at least $30, covering charges for officials, Federal tax, janitor, and tickets.
Mr. O'Connell has arranged a complete schedule for the younger boy players he has been coaching for participation in the Middlesex Junior High Basketball League, and Joan Cooke, star and Captain of the 1949 team, has volunteered to coach the junior high girls so that they may play in inter- scholastic games. Acton High athletes have been handicapped in the past by their comparatively few years of playing ex- perience, and it is hoped that the development of these "feeder" teams will help to correct the situation.
The School Committee, Finance Committee, School Survey Committee, Board of Selectmen, and other town officials have worked together to back up those who are in the operational phase of educating Acton's youngsters, and the School De- partment has received splendid cooperation from the Center and West Acton Women's Clubs, the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Parent Teachers Association, Maynard Rotary Club and other public service organizations.
If the 1950 School Budget is approved by the voters, the School Department will be assured of adequate financial sup- port for the plans developed at numerous school committee and faculty meetings, and there will be no reason why we cannot continue to give Acton children the training, which will fit them for life in the second half of the Twentieth Cen- tury.
Respectfully submitted,
WHITMAN PEARSON, Superintendent of Schools.
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REPORT OF ACTON HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
The Acton Athletic Association started the school year with a balance of $31.83 and has increased this sum to almost $500. This has been accomplished by the annual dance, the Christmas Card sales and the Magazine Drive. The Magazine Drive this year had the greatest gross sales in the school's history totaling more than $1050. Of the amount the Asso- ciation received $350.
The expenses this year were very heavy as we bought sweat suits for the boys' basketball team and new uniforms for the girls' basketball team. These two items were needed badly, the sweat suits for reasons of health and the girls' uniforms since they have been playing the past years in gym clothes. We also plan to purchase baseball uniforms for the Varsity, as the present suits are five years old. The old suits will be turned over to the Junior High school squad. The cleaning and stor- ing bill for uniforms has been close to $75.00 per year.
Acton is still a member of the nine team Wachusett League, and as in the past has scheduled some outside team to make up the schedule. Mr. Edward Ferry is the coach of varsity basketball succeeding Edward Quagliozzi. At the present Mr. Ferry is concentrating on freshmen and sophomores to build a strong team in the next few years. Miss Irene Costello has succeeded Miss Marjorie Curry as the coach of all girls' sports and she has been very successful in the field. We have decided to raise field hockey to a major sport as there was a great deal of interest this past year. We are now attempting to schedule about eight games for the 1950 season.
We have organized a Junior High School team for girls this year and hope to find the stars of the future in the group. Intra murals will be held weekly again this year, and with so many teams in operation, it is our hope that every girl and boy who wishes to play basketball will have the opportunity to show their skill.
In closing, I would like at this time to thank Mr. Pearson, the faculty, School Committee and the people of the town of
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Acton who have given me so much support and cooperation. They did much to make our athletic program the success that it is.
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